1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a therapeutical method for the treatment of chronic uraemic patients submitted to haemodialysis and, more particularly, pertains to a therapeutical method compensating or preventing the depletion of carnitine which occurs in subjects affected by chronic uraemia undergoing periodical haemodialysis.
According to another aspect, the present invention pertains to a concentrated polysaline solution and a diluted polysaline solution, obtainable from the former by suitable dilution, adapted for use as the dialyzing liquid in the therapeutical method of the present invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that patients affected by chronic uraemia, undergoing periodic haemodialysis, frequently develop myocardiopathies that are inalterable by intensive dialysis, and therefore not attributable to an accumulation of toxic catabolites nor to sodium and water retention. In such patients it is possible to observe a clinical picture known as post-dialytic syndrome, characterized by marked muscular asthenia and a sensation of torpor, particularly evident immediately following dialysis and which may often last even for several hours, so making difficult, if not impossible, a full resumption of working activity.
It has furthermore been found that while the plasma concentration of carnitine in uraemic patients prior to haemodialysis is equal to or slightly lower than the values observed in normal subjects, upon termination of dialysis the concentration of carnitine is reduced to approximately 25% of the pre-dialysis value. It has also been observed that during the period between the termination of one dialytic treatment and the beginning of the next the plasma concentration of carnitine tends to rise and practically reaches, within a few hours, its normal level, but this occurs due to the transfer of carnitine from the tissues to the plasma with attendant progressive tissue depletion. Particularly serious consequences are brought about by carnitine depletion in the myocardium and skeletal muscles.
In addition, it has been observed that there is a significant correlation between reduced carnitine concentration and increased free fatty acid levels in plasma which occur during haemodialysis. In fact, reduced carnitine concentration hinders normal cellular function thus reducing or blocking the oxidation of free fatty acids (FFA) which cannot reach the beta-oxidation sites since they do not cross the mitochondrial membrane as shown by the reaction scheme. ##STR1##
In such conditions there is a shortage of the principal energy supply to the muscular cells, especially the myocardial cells, which use fatty acid as their preferential energy substrate and develop the above-mentioned functional anomalies of the myocardium characterized by rhythm disturbances, contractile force disturbances, etc.
These affections are often encountered in patients submitted to periodical haemodialysis, such as to constitute one of the main risks when performing haemodialytic therapy.